Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

The Trouble with Treaties

Status
Not open for further replies.
Tansen stole a peek into the room as he heard the voices. They made it sound as if they were talking about ones prized cattle. The idea made him sick. He wondered why the women of the land stood for such injustices done to them. Such things as this was never done, unless the it was the man who, started the conversation with the woman's family, more so asking for her hand in marriage.

Deston sat in room going bored out of his mind, as he began to resort to the magic that feared the Anastarians so much to keep himself entertained. He made sure to cover the seals of the doors so no guard could see what was partaking on inside the room. He had coins dancing and flying around the room, as small sparks seemed to come from the ground creating interesting shows of light. It was rare if Deston went a day without using his magic as a device to keep himself busy during the hours he spent in the castle, back home.
 
"Word shall not pass my lips," the Lord swore with a solemn tone. He took one step closer towards the Prince. His gaze shifted for a moment, looking into the corners of the Library. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed not to find it before his gaze went back to the Prince. His shoulders drooped down an inch, his stance less rigid now as Prince and Lord stood face to face.

"She will be well cared for, Prince. Though I believe it may be wise to arrange some time where we might meet. I would not want to subject her to a sudden shock, suddenly joined to a foreigner. At the very least, to make sure she is familiar with our ways, and caapable of withstanding the rigors of my household."
 
Gavin nodded. "Of course. Tomorrow, you can take her out to a picnic lunch or go riding. I'll even call off the majority of her escorts to give the two of you some privacy. It won't be too much of a shock for her, she should be expecting it. I've drummed it into her that she'll most likely be married as part of a political union. And this whole affair is nothing more then politics. She might just be surprised it's you, that's all."

***********

As Diane passed through the gardens, she saw the Comtess and her hawk. She paused for a moment, thinking how beautiful and free the animal seemed. She made a mental note to talk to the Comtesses tomorrow. After all, her brother had certainly warmed up to them, and she felt it only fair she actually meet them. They, along with the Baroness Masako, were the only women she was given permission to talk to.

Moving on, she used the servant's stairs to make her way through the men's quarters towards the Loidite's room.
 
"Then please, make the arrangements for a ride."

The Lord nodded once in a gesture of agreement. His heels clicked together, and he bowed deeply to Prince Gavin, right leg shifted behind him, left hand to his stomach and right arm extended out to the side in a graceful, well practiced bow. He rose slowly, straightening up fully, looking the Prince in the eye. Quite flatly he stated, "I expect to see proper papers drawn up soon however, including customary arrangements according to both of our customs. Inform my men when it is ready to sign."

"And inform Diane her gift will be ready before the ride," a smile did creep onto his face there.
 
Gavin nodded, a smile creeping across his face. "Not a problem. I actually took the liberty of writing the betrothal papers earlier. All that's needed is your name. The stables will be informed of your ride tomorrow, and Diane will be ready." He paused at the mention of gift, thinking his sister was going to feel like it was her birthday. "Diane will be ready," he repeated.

He had everything ready. Diane's hand in marriage would mean a great deal to her husband. Her dowery included a noble title in the Anstarian royalty, estate and lands in the kingdom, a chance to inherit the throne and being privy to some of the secret sciences of Anstaria. Gavin knew he picked wisely. If anything went wrong with the peace talks with Loidi, he didn't want to put so much of his kingdom in the hands of his enemies.

************

Making it to the Loidite rooms, Diane used the back hall to enter. Knocking on the servant's door, she peered inside. "Hello? Am I interupting? I came to talk."
 
Tansen quickly and quietly left the area as the two began to wrap things up. Moving swiftly to his brothers room. The more time he was away the more time he would have to cause trouble that truly wasn't necessary between the nations now. His thoughts were on the royal family of Anastari though. He realized what the prince did, he did thinking it best for his nation, but the rash and brutal part of him believed he just didn't want anything to do with the Lodites in anyway. As these thoughts went through his mind he found himself barging in on his brothers door, free of knocking.

Deston fell over as his magic suddenly spun out of control for a moment then ground to a complete stop. He thought his brother may have been a Ritter Hex sent to kill him, for a moment. Yet in his eyes it was worse, his brother was steaming from the fact he had been preforming magic again. "Are you kidding me Deston?! What in the world were..." His thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on the servants entry.

The two looked each other shrugging. Each expecting the other to know what it was about. Eventually Tansen walked over to the door opening it, his other hand placed where his sword should have been. He begged the gods that the Ritter had not seen his brother. Instead when he found the princess he was dumbstruck. "Uma... Your highness... It's a pleasure to see you. Please do come in."
 
One of Honorè's most cherished and well polished skills were the skills of observation. So despite her own meloncholy, she noticed the distinct difference in footsteps that moved through the garden. Turning just ever so slightly, she saw the flash of the gown from the princess and smiled. It seemed young Gavin's sister was not so meek as he thought. This could be interesting. Chuckling to herself, she handed the bird back to the servant who'd come with her and followed after the young princess. After all, if one could prevent it, it would be bad form to let the girl get into too much trouble.

Unlike the girl, Honorè moved as if she belonged there. She even deigned to smile at one of the Ritter Hex that she passed in the garden on her way out, acting as if for all intents and purposes she had been called there, as if for an assignation. After all, Goldspar was all but considered loose and free women anyways, and not all of them knew what had transpired in the dining room yet. But once around a corner, she slipped out of sight herself, looking around her for signs of the princess' passage, doors slightly ajar, the scent of perfume. All and all, an amusing time that reminded her of her mother's training. But did manage to surprise her however, was where she ended up.

She kept far enough back, that the princess who thought herself unobserved, that she would be unobserved and watched what would transpire. Once the princess was inside, Honorè would go no further than the door to listen in on the conversation, but if she did not go in, which is what Honorè feminine side wish, the comtesse would remain further back. But she did intend to wait for the princess to come out. And then perhaps it would be time for a discussion with the young lady. After all, if her brother caught her, it would serve no one no good.
 
Gavin opened a cabnet in the library, taking out a bottle of Anstaria's finest liquar. Turning back to Martinez, he said, "A toast to the future." Pouring them both a glass, he handed one to his future brother-in-law. With luck, he could keep his sister safe from the vultures. This marriage would be beneficial to both kingdoms.

******************

Diane entered the room and closed the door, not realizing she had nearly missed seeing Honore behind her. She could see the coins scattered on the floor and chose to ignore that. She wasn't sure if they were just looking over their finances or not. Leaning back against the door, she said, "I came to say how sorry I was about what happened at dinner today. I feel as if the laws of Anstaria were not fully explained and that's what caused the misunderstandings."

She looked back at the coins and then at the princes. "It's no secret that magic is outlawed. Anything to do with magic, even the most innocent of it is subject to fear. I'm sure that the young prince didn't mean anything by his tricks, but my people are on edge. It is normal to hear rumors of the Ritter Hex hunting down the barest glimmer of magic that crops up in our land, but to have it happen in the palace is just frightening.

"I humbly ask that if you must perform magic, you do so only in your rooms. I would hate for you to give the Ritter Hex any reason to attack. I've seen them in full regalia and on the move, and it's a sight I never want to see again. It wouldn't sit well with our kingdoms if we were forced to imprision you and your brother."
 
Deston looked up to his brother a cheesy smile upon his face. Tansen had been ready to beat this fact into his little brother before the princess had showed up. Deston looked down at the coins, then back at her. "So then it is ok if we use magic in our rooms?" He hoped she would say yes, not only for the fact that he could do so with out being attacked, but also to win some small victory over his elder sibling.

Tansen slapped Deston upside the head as he spoke, quickly adding, "What my brother means to say your ladyship is that, he is deeply sorry for not paying attention to your customs. We both will devoid from the use of magic in your land. I am deeply sorry for causing you to pay us this special visit, but thank you very much so for warning us." He gave a slight bow to Diane, as he saw his brother about to speak, he put his foot onto his grinding the small toes of his sibling.

Deston opened his mouth only to let out a small whimper and bow to the lady as well.

Tansen thought about telling the woman in front of him of the new he had learned of in the library. It would seem that he was spying on her brother, but he wondered what her opinion on the subject would be. As he thought about it he thought it wise to learn their custom on women first. "May I ask before you leave your highness, how it is marriages are chosen in your land?"
 
"Marriage?" Diane felt a deep blush creep up her face. What had they talked about when she left dinner? Pressing back against the door, she said, "I guess that depends on what class you're talking about. If you mean for royalty, it's mostly betrothals to further one party's status. The families in question meet, agree on the terms of marriage and what each party would bring to the union. It's a business deal, I suppose."

She smiled softly. "Someday, that's how it's going to be for me. I won't be surprised if I'm betrothed before the end of these talks. It would be a good political merger." Though she said it as if it didn't matter, it mattered in her heart. She could accept that any marriage would be purely a matter of status, but that small romantic part of her wanted to not only love her future husband, but to be loved as well.

"How is marriage handled in Loidi," she asked. "Don't you also barter royal and noble weddings to help strengthen political ties?"
 
Tansen laughed at how little Diane knew of her own life. She clearly had no idea she was already betrothed, yet her reply did not help him in any way decided who to tell this precious little bit of information to. All he knew was that he must ask quickly, before the knowledge was let out to the public. He looked down at the poor girl, she was little more than a cattle in this land. Her only purpose was to further her families agenda. Under his breath he spoke, of who she was betrothed to, hoping his brother would catch it, before he spoke, "In our land, their are of course women who are a bit pressured into marriage into anothers family for political reasons. Especially in the higher positions of our land, but for the most part no. We let the two to be wed choose. There are families who make choices due to politics but, at the very least we fool ourselves saying it is not, to those around us. I find it quite sad you have already accepted your fate." He shrugged looking over at his brother, wondering if he had picked up on his hint. His brother was smart and would most likely be the one to help him decide what to do with the information he had.

But Deston seemed to not be paying attention to anything in the room, looking out into the window. Staring into the vast unknown. He looked back over to the two. "Miss Diane. Would you know if I am allowed to leave my room yet?" He hated being in one place two long, as he looked back at the two he realized he had absent mindfully began to play with the coins again, one now spinning around his feet.
 
Diane frowned slightly as she saw Tansen mutter something, but being unable to hear it, she thought it could be a curse or swear. She did smile at the mention that even in Loidi, political marriages existed. That made her feel a little better, somehow.

"I should get back to my rooms," she said. "I'd hate to think of what kind of panic Gavin would go into if someone checks on me and I'm not there. Thank you for your time, Highness. I'll talk to my brother over breakfast about letting the young prince out. I'm sure he only meant for this to be just for tonight."

She gave him a low curtsy and slipped back out the door. Her mind was occupied on the question of marriage. Did he ask her that question because Gavin was already trying to secure Loidi through a wedding? It would be very bold of her brother to bring that up so early in the talks. And with Loidi? That didn't sound like Gavin. He was distrustful of magic.

Head down, she walked through the passage slowly, trying to figure out what it all meant. She couldn't ask Gavin, that would mean that he'd know that she was sneaking around. And to go to a man's room unescorted? Unheard of! She'd never see daylight again if he found out about this.
 
Deston sighed when he heard that he would be stuck in his room until sometime the next day. As he looked at his brother he saw that something was on his mind. "What is it?"

Tansen bid farewell then turned to his brother. "I have information. Powerful information. But I know not yet what to do with it." Deston looked at his elder sibling. He could tell he was looking for guidance so he followed up with the expected question.
"What information do you hold?" Deston was shocked to hear it. Such things would at least of been made knowledge to the princess in their country, but this wasn't his country.

"My brother I suggest, you use this information quickly. Even if it does us no good now it may down the road." He continued on, explaining to his brother what he thought was best to do. The two came to an understanding shortly, and bid each other farewell. Tansen went into the halls, acting a little suspicious of the Ritter Hex in the hall, as he made his way trying to find the Prince Gavin. First going to see if he would be allowed near the princes quarters.
 
For a moment, Honorè debated whether to leave quickly or to reveal herself to the princess. She decided upon the latter. Stepping out from an alcove where she'd hidden herself when she heard the preparations for the princess to leave again, she looked at the princess, slightly disapproving, but softening it with a smile after a moment or two for the princess to get nervous.

"Your highness..." She nodded her head in acknowledgment of her position. "Might I suggest we take advantage of each others' presence to provide ourselves an alibi for our location while we discuss how unwise this trip might have been." She gave the girl points for being spunky, but she hadn't thought of how more likely it would be to be caught after the fact, and how it would be obvious that she was coming from the men's quarters, however, if she was escorted, even if by a woman from Goldspar, at least it was a woman. One whom the prince had already shown favor with at that. Besides, perhaps with this secret between them, there would be another measure of trust gained.
 
The Lord took the glass, holding its stem between middle and ring fingers on his right hand, his Clan's signet clinking as the band impacted on the cup. He held it aloft, clinking it with the Prince's own glass in tradition before he drew it back to his face. He held the glass under his nose, breathing in the scent of the liquar, letting it fill his lungs before the glass ever touched his lips. He drank slow, taking only a thin sip to start, enough to get a small pool on his tongue, letting the flavor linger there before swallowing. As the fire passed into his stomach, he nodded slowly towards Gavin.

"To Future, friendship, and fiances," the smile came back to his face, taking another drink, slower, deeper this time. He set his glass down on a nearby surface.

"There is one more thing, your highness. A small token I have brought for your lordship, perhaps you would wish to collect it in the morning."
 
Diane gasped as Honore stepped out of the alcove, startling her. She hadn't really thought of being caught. Normally, Gavin would look the other way when she went to his chambers to sneak a look at books, but this might not be worth forgiving. Being caught by another noble was just surprising.

"Comtess, you startled me," Diane said. Quickly, she motioned for Honore to follow her. "I would appreciate it if this trip isn't ever mentioned again. This passage will take us out by the gardens, we can just pretend to have been there all night." She and the Comtess went to the gardens. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I hope your stay here in Anstaria is pleasurable. We have a lot of sights that you might enjoy here."

Thinking back to the bird she had seen earlier, she said, "I'm sure if I talk to my brother, he can arrange for a hunting trip. He enjoys hunting, the forests near the castle provide his favorite past time. Finding another who shares his passions would be nice." She wasn't so innocent she didn't know what kind of passions the comtess would stir in her brother.

"Also, if you would be so kind as to walk with me to my room, I can open your gift now," Diane said. "Unless you'd prefer to wait until morning." She had been very curious as to what the visitors got her. She wasn't used to gifts.

*********************

"That would be wonderful," Gavin said after he took a sip of his drink. "Actually, the morning sounds just right. I will have the paperwork ready for you by then. I left them in my room, locked. I can keep them there until we wish to make the announcement."

He made the offer, knowing that some lords like to keep a hold of the betrothal papers. Personally, he'd prefer to keep the papers himself, just in case. It's not like a lord hadn't backed out of a betrothal in the past.

"Just out of curiosity, Lord Martinez, is there anything you require for this betrothal," Gavin asked. "I know our traditions aren't the same, but if there is anything I can do to help prepare my sister to be your wife, let me know."
 
"There is one, your highness."

Martinez's left hand came over towards his right. His thumb and forefinger pinched down upon the ring on his right ring finger. He slowly twisted it, removing it from his finger, holding it out towards the Anastarian Prince as it fell into the palm of his hand. He nodded down, indicating for the Prince to take the ring, the signet of his clan, marked with the sigal of his family from long before they achieved nobility.

"In my clan, it is customary for the betrothed to trade emblems of thier family, to signify the bond that is forming and the joining of families. Take my signet, consider yourself of my clan, as I will become part of yours."
 
Gavin hesitated. His signet ring was his symbol of power. It was how he signed any paperwork, his signature. If he handed it over to Lord Martinez, he was pretty much giving him the power of the throne. There had to be some way to comply with the tradition and not give over his ring.

"Lord Martinez, I would love to exchange rings with you," Gavin said slowly, "however, the signet ring is an important tool of the ruler of Anstaria. I can't let you have it."

Quickly, though, he said, "I do have my seal on an amulet. Would that work instead?"
 
Honorè chuckled, the girl was extremely protected, but that served her purposes as well. "I came to make sure that you were not being coerced against your will into the men's quarters, your highness." Obviously, she had not been, as she left rather quickly for that purpose. "I'm sure -my- stay will be most pleasurable however it goes. I have no particular fondness for my country of birth. I once had plans to travel the world." Another small laugh. "but after an accident as a young woman, my family refused to release me upon the world. After the accident, any attempts at betrothals had to promise to leave me on land should he travel." She smiled at the young woman. "This is as close as I get to travel...with my sister in tow."

"Be grateful, if these talks end in your marriage, you'll likely have more freedom than you do now."

They walked a bit further, Honorè catching a servant's eye. "Please bring her highness a cloak, so she does not catch her ill", she then turned back to the girl and explained. "If you are going to be sneaky, act as if you are perfectly within your rights to be wherever it is you are. If you look sneaky, people will believe you are up to no good. If you act confident, they will simply believe you belong there." A small lesson for the sheltered girl.

As they reached the gardens however, she took the girls words into considerations. "Gawain would love a hunt, as would I. It is amusing to note what interests your brother and I share." She would not shelter the girl as most might, she needed to be prepared for her position, no matter who it would be with. Gavin would not have brought his precious sister to simple peace talks. She knew he was planning on marrying her off. It was just a matter of who. There was the Loidites, but he seemed far too mistrustful of them to give her over. All of Goldspar's delegation was female, so her bets were on that Lord Martinez, unless Martinez was simply representing someone else. But she mentioned none of her pondering to her charge.

"As you wish, your highness." And so they began the walk to the princess' quarters. After that, she would need to meet with the prince if she chose to see what laid down that path. "Yes, a hunt would be nice... but first, your presents."
 
His hand outstretched, the signet ring still in the palm of his hand, his fingers curled up slightly as the prince spoke, his smile fading slowly as he presented his counter offer. His shoulders were tensed, and his posture straightened up a little more, and his hand dropped just two inches from where it was.

"I understand, Your Highness," he bowed deeply at the waist towards Prince Gavin. His left hand deposited his signet ring on the table, right next to his barely touched glass of Anastarian Liquar. He rose slowly from his bow. He seemed relaxed one more, his face neutral as he came up.

"If it is convient for you, I would rather the ring, I will give you time to have your men craft an appropriate piece. In my lands, such tokens are the marks of servants and slaves, not of brothers to be." He bowed once more, a small gesture, barely lowering his head nine inchs. He stepped backwards, towards the library door.

"The hour grows late Your Highness, and I have much to attend to among my people, as I am sure you have much to impart to yours."
 
Diane smiled, threading her arm through Honore's. "Act confident," she repeated. "I suppose I always took it for granted that I was the princess. Even though I wasn't allowed in the men's quarters, no one ever really reported me. Gavin babies me. We all know it." She smiled softly. "I'm his sister and he treats me like I'm made of glass. He means well, but sometimes I wish he'd be less careful of me and just let me have fun."

She brought Honore back to the women's quarters. "Marriage doesn't really mean freedom for me," she said. "What if I'm married off to some stuffy politician? I'll just be his quiet little wife. What I want is to marry a man who loves me. That would be wonderful."

She looked at Honore, "Don't you agree? For nobels, marriage for love seems so rare. I don't mind if it's all politics in the end, as long as he really cares about me."

*******************

Gavin nodded. "Of course, I will have a ring made first thing in the morning. It might take a few days to get it right." He looked at the door. "If you will excuse me, Lord Martinez, I believe I'm late for a date with a very lovely lady." He excused himself and left, walking out to the gardens. If he was in luck, then Honore hadn't left yet and he could still enjoy some of the night with her.
 
Tansen stood in front of Gavin quarters tapping his boots against the floor becoming very bored. He could not understand how the Ritter Hex did it all day. He began to pace back and forth in front of the door, but soon even that could not keep him preoccupied. He dragged out one long sigh, then began to head back to the library, hoping the Prince had not yet left. It seemed he would never be able to have a nice talk with the prince, Tansen chuckled as he began to roam the halls for where he had followed the prince once before.
 
Hmm..would the girl be more dangerous with knowledge or without. Gavin wouldn't appreciate her enlightening his sister most likely, but the girl seemed intelligent enough if given a chance. The problem was, she hadn't been given the chance, which was a self perpetuating cycle in that she didn't seem like she could handle it.

"How about you go open your present first." This one took a little more trouble than usual, Honorè was known for her impetuous nature but she genuinely felt sorry for the girl. Every girl wants love, even one such as her. "But yes, nobility is a burden that the commoners do not know when it comes to marriage. We must sacrifice our virtue for the sake of alliances. But there are cases where even alliances can lead to that emotional upheaval called love. Tell me, if you thought your brother would give you to one of the men here, who would you prefer? You can't know what you would love, if you don't know what you would like." It seemed the odds were against her meeting with Gavin tonight unless his meeting ran long. It was a shame, she would have enjoyed the walk.
 
The Lord stepped aside as the Prince rushed past him. He gave the man a polite bow as he left, even as his eyes went back to the table, to the signet ring he offered, and where it remained twice rebuked. With the prince gone behind closed doors, his face darkened. The polite mask was gone, his face seemed slack, his eyes sunken back, his skin paler than it had been before. He reached out slowly, taking the ring back in his left hand, slowly putting it back on his right hand, securing it in the old familiar spot it has rested for years. He looked over towards the elite knight of the Ritter Hex stationed in the Library, saying nothing to the man who had silently watched the whole event.

He moved deeper into the library. His eyes scanned over old spines and open tomes. His pace was slow, letting him linger in spots as he caught better looks at some books. His hand reached out, feeling the bindings as he walked, running along lettering. Deeper into the library he went, towards tables with stacked books. Places he found inkwells and quills. His paces lingered here longer. Until finally he reached one tome that brought him to a stop. He flipped through pages slowly, reading a few passages quietly. He slowly closed the book, tucking it into his arm. He made his way back out of the library with measured steps. Chin up, shoulders back, he never glanced at the knight again as he made his way to the door. He opened it without a word, turning on his heels and heading down the hall to his quarters. He said nothing to the men in the hall. Not until he reached his chambers, and shut the heavy door behind him.

His men looked towards him, and the Lord said only one thing:

"It is done."
 
Diane thought that over. "Who would I choose to marry? That's an odd question," she said. "Of the men I've met, I'm not sure. Lord Martinez and I have had a chance to talk, and I find him to be very nice. However, knowing my position and that of my brother's, I'd assume that I'd be married off to Prince Tansen. It could very well help cement the bonds between Anstaria and Loidi."

She chewed on her lip. The question had been whom she'd want to marry, but she could barely wrap her mind around that. In each person, she saw potential political pulls. Lord Martinez was from a kingdom that Anstaria had a trade agreement with, yet her brother was supposed to be trying to stay on Loidi's good side. "I really don't know either of the men to make such a choice," she said. "Both seem to be very nice men."

Behind them, Gavin entered the gardens. He spotted them across the way and hurried over, trying to not make it look as if he were hurrying. By the time he reached them, he heard Diane say, "I suppose I'd just have to get to know them better before I can answer."

"Answer what," Gavin asked, walking behind the two women.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom